Harry Potter and the Ghosts of the Past
by zane.rodrigues.14
Summary: Harry has completed his fifth year at Hogwarts and is dealing with Sirius' death. A brief look into the events that led up to the fateful night at Godrics Hollow. Ghosts who come to visit and train him. Time warp. Powerful Harry. Vengeful, Justice seeking Harry.
1. In Principio - I

The quiet summer evening seemed oppressive to the teenage boy sprawled across his small cot. Not a sound, not a whiff of breeze permeated his room, which had its tattered curtains drawn. He lay in silent, deep contemplation of the ceiling above his bed. A closer look would have shown the tell-tale tracks of dried tears on his cheeks, which were just beginning to show the darkening of facial hair. His emerald green eyes stared unseeing upward, as his mind worked at a furious pace, belied by his stillness. A first glance would tell most of the world that this was a teenage boy sulking in his room over some imagined slight the universe had offered, as is common among boys his age. When "life is not fair" became reason for a temper tantrum or a long broody sulk. Most of the world would be wrong.

Comparing Harry James Potter to the rest of the world was likening the tail of a mouse to the trunk of an elephant. He simply was different. His differences weren't completely unique. Harry Potter was a wizard. That was startling enough in itself, but even among wizards he was not "ordinary."

His tale began before he was born, some might even say it began in the beginning of time; when good first battled evil for dominance in the world. That battle was never concluded, the victor never decided. Long ago it had been ordained that the battle would be continuous. It would be never ending. The generals would change. The troops would evolve. The battle field would spill over into many spheres of human life, but it would endure. Heroes and villains would rise and fall yet the struggle was eternal. Harry Potter found himself a reluctant and unwitting hero in this battle. But that was the bigger picture. He didn't see it. No one did.

Having just completed 5 years of magical training at one of the most prestigious magical schools in the world, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry found himself back in his relatives' house for yet another summer closed off from the hidden magical world he was a part of. Some might wonder how a mere boy, seemingly unremarkable, could be pondering the fate of the world and the ultimate battle between good and evil. His story began thus…

January 10th 1980:

Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry bowed his head against the fury of nature and trudged down the winding road in Hogsmeade village, heading towards a dingy old pub called the Hogshead. The rain was lashing down in a vicious torrent, churning the mud into ankle deep slush. Very few people were aware that the proprietor of the pub was in fact the illustrious wizard's brother, Aberforth Dumbledore. Although years apart in age, the brothers' resemblance in their younger years had been uncanny, and they had often been mistaken for one another. Time and cares and worries had aged Albus far more than Aberforth now, not to mention a different hair style and beard set them poles apart in the looks department.

Albus was on his was on his way to interview the great-great-granddaughter of a famous seer, who was seeking a position as a divination teacher at his school. He personally felt divination was an imprecise branch of magic and that it was difficult if not impossible to teach to the general student body. Yet he still felt it would be a severe slight if he didn't at least meet this so called paragon and have a word with her. He entered the pub and ended the protective charm that had kept him dry though he had just walked through the rain to get there. He enjoyed walking in the rain and not feeling cold or wet, there was a certain stark beauty to seeing the forces of nature unleashed.

Patronage of the pub had fallen drastically due to the increase activities of a dark wizard who was currently terrorizing the magical world. Albus frowned as his thoughts turned towards his former student, who had now assumed the mantle of "Lord Voldemort" and was feared by one and all. He alone stood against Voldemort and his quest for power, with a few stalwarts who he had formed into the "Order of the Phoenix", an organization named after his bright red familiar Fawkes.

He nodded at his brother and proceeded up the stairs and began a long and mind-numbingly boring interview with the spectacled witch inside. In the course of conversation, Sybil Trelawney suddenly went rigid, and began to speak in a hoarse voice, which seemed to be a myriad of people speaking at the same time and in different tones and pitches. The hairs on the back of Albus' neck raised as he heard her decry : "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies… and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives…the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…" He didn't even register the bang and angry shouts that came from outside the room in the middle of her speech, but was sitting jolt upright as he contemplated what he had just heard. Trelawney was looking at him with vague curiosity. Albus cleared his throat, his mind doing cartwheels as it processed the information he had just heard. "Perhaps you would join me for tea in my office tomorrow… Professor" he said with a twinkle in his eye that belied the furious thinking, strategizing and planning that was already occurring within his formidable intellect. He left the pub in a hurry, heading for the fireplace to floo to his office instead of taking the time to walk back to the school. He vaguely heard his brother grumbling about "ill-manners" and "busy-body Slytherin pests" as he stepped into the green flames and disappeared with a whoosh.

January 11th 1980:

Albus paced around his office, deep in thought. As far as he knew there was only one couple that fit the description given by the seer and that was the Potter's. It also happened that James and Lily potter were expecting a baby around the time that the prophecy spoke about. They had defied Voldemort three times and had lived to tell the tale. It was quickly apparent that their child would probably turn out to be the savior of the wizarding world and deliver them all from darkness. The thought, while mildly comforting, also caused Albus to feel a lot of despair at the thought of how many innocent lives would be lost by the time this baby (who wasn't even born yet) would be ready to face his prophesized nemesis.

He was still pondering this revelation when his fire burned bright emerald green and a panting young man jumped out of the flames and turned towards the fireplace expectantly. He was soon followed by an auburn haired young witch, who had tears streaming down her face and her hand clasped protectively over her belly. In the time it had taken them to turn back towards him, Albus was already across the desk, wand drawn and a grave look in his eyes. "Frank, Alice – what has happened?" he asked sharply even as he used his wand to check them for enchantments and the imperious curse. "Voldemort!" gasped Frank, his eyes downcast and his hands on his knees as he tried to steady his breathing. "Attacked Longbottom Lake." He stumbled over his explanation. Alice seemed to be in shock, and completely unable to form a coherent sentence. "Frank, what happened?!" asked Dumbledore, with far more urgency now that he knew the Dark Lord was involved. "We were having a picnic" came the dull tones of Alice Longbottom, "Frank's mum, dad and the two of us. They came out of nowhere!" her voice broke as she turned to hug her husband, who had recovered himself. "He killed my father!" he said with a shudder as a tear slid out of his eyes. "I don't know where Mother is. She stunned two Death Eaters, and was chased by three more into the woods that surround our house. I grabbed Alice, sent an _Expelliarmus _at Voldemort and apparated to the Leaky Cauldron. We took the Floo from there to your office"

Albus lowered his head in sorrow at the thought of another life taken by the monster. He had known Carl Longbottom for many years and it was with a heavy heart that he comforted his old friend's son and daughter-in-law. As he muttered soothing words and tried to offer them whatever comfort he could, he was suddenly startled by a thought that had been germinating in his mind almost as soon as he knew they had escaped the Dark Lord. "Frank," he asked with excited urgency filled with trepidation "how many times have you and Alice escaped Voldemort together?" Frank and Alice exchanged a baffled glance before he shrugged and said "Three, why?" He didn't understand why Dumbledore suddenly sat down in the visitors chair in his office with a thump, or why he had such a strange mixture of triumph and defeat on his face.

January 12th 1980:

The four young people looked askance of their old Headmaster, as they stood in his office. Having just seen the prophecy given by Trelawney in the pensieve for the second time, they were all bewildered as to what it had to do with them, although Lily and Alice exchanged one glance filled with dread at the mention of when the baby was to be born. They were both well aware that their respective children were both due around that time.

James Potter stood in shock as the meaning of the prophecy sunk in. His child could be the one to vanquish the most evil dark wizard in centuries. He exchanged a look with his old dorm mate Frank. They both didn't put too much stock in divination, but if Albus took it so seriously, they were more inclined to believe it. Plans were made for the couples to go into hiding, and wait for the fates to take their course.

Both couples were adamant about hiding in plain sight. Frank and Alice were both Aurors, determined to renew their fight against the Dark Forces as soon as possible after their loss. Lily was an Unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries, and who knew what she got up to, but she refused to take a leave of absence until it was absolutely necessary. James Potter seemed to be a demure character, a fact which was belied by the mischievous twinkle in his eyes. He was quite simply the most brilliant transfigurationist of his age, and his skills in that branch of magic far surpassed Professor McGonagall or even Dumbledore for that matter. He was wealthy enough to be involved solely in his own research and studies. His papers were often sought after by the renowned publication "Transfiguration Today" and he had absolutely no intention of stopping all that to go into hiding.

It was with a heavy heart that Albus watched them leave, they were so young to be burdened with the knowledge that their child would have to kill or be killed. Time would tell.


	2. In Principio - II

January 12th, The Riddle House

Severus Snape waited on his knees in the ante-chamber in his Lord's house. The summons had been sudden and unexpected, yet he had resisted the urge to clasp the Dark Mark which had burned fiercely on his left arm for a minute. The Mark was a skull, with a snake protruding from its mouth in lieu of a tongue. Snape still remembered the fierce pride he had felt when Lord Voldemort had touched his wand tip to his forearm and whispered "Morsmodre".

He had been 17, fresh out of Hogwarts, and looking for an employer that would give him the respect he required as a potions expert.

He was well on his way to getting his Mastership of the subject, working on developing a potion of his own to combat the effects of the Crutiatus Curse. What the venerated members of the potions guild did not know was that Snape was merely developing an antidote to the poison he had created, which mimicked the curse's effect. For some inexplicable reason, the antidote worked on people who were poisoned or cursed with the same effect.

He stiffened, forced his mind out of its ramblings and pushed his newly developed Occlumency shields to the forefront as he heard footsteps in the corridor. The Dark Lord was known to be the greatest Legilimens the world had ever seen, and it was impossible to lie to him or hide your thoughts. Unless you could occlude your mind. It was not that Snape would ever lie to his Lord. He merely resented the lack of privacy in his thoughts. He pushed away his thoughts again, and cleared his mind.

Lord Voldemort stalked into the room, followed by Lucius Malfoy, and Bellatrix Lestrange. They had both been way senior to Snape in school, and still made him shudder. Bellatrix was a beautiful raven-haired witch of immense power, a pure-blood who could trace her ancestry back at least a thousand years. Malfoy on the other hand was a suave, blond wizard known for his cunning, and his sly casting of the most insidious mind spells which affected everyone he had ever tried them on. His family was descended from a second son of one of the kings of France, and had moved to Britain half a millennium ago. They were still proud of their heritage and expected to be treated like royalty. Snape couldn't stand him.

"Severus" said the Dark Lord in dulcet tones that had Snape shiver slightly at their power. He was charismatic and debonair, with the power to sway people to his way of thinking, by one way or another. "My Lord," whispered Snape, pressing his forehead to the ground.

"Rise." He clicked his fingers. Snape stood slightly shakily, and kept his gaze focused on his Lord's knees. "Eyes to mine, Severus." Chided Voldemort in a gentle manner. People had died for believing there was anything gentle about the Dark Lord. Snape dutifully raised his eyes, and felt the mental spike of a Legilimency probe. There was silence in the room for about 3 minutes while the Dark Lord perused Snape's thoughts.

"Privacy, Severus?" said Voldemort in an amused tone. "Occlumency is a difficult art, only the most powerful wizards can practice it with any success." He sounded stern, and for a minute Snape thought he was about to be on the receiving end of one of his master's dreaded curses. "Nevertheless, I expect no less than the absolute best from my followers. You may continue your attempts at Occlumency with my blessing." Snape released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "However," continued Voldemort, causing him to stiffen again. "You must remember – Lord Voldemort always knows." Snape bowed his head, murmuring "Of course, My Lord".

"Always, My Lord!" added Lucius fervently, echoed by Bellatrix whispering "Always" in a slightly excited, yet awe filled voice.

The Dark Lord turned towards the window, where twilight was giving way to night. "This prophecy" he said suddenly. "Do you know who it speaks of?" he asked casually. "No, My Lord, I do not." replied Snape in surprise. He had only heard two lines of a so-called prophecy and had not given it much importance. He didn't think that the Dark Lord put any stock in divination; he had merely wanted to hear what Dumbledore was going to ask the divination witch, since he was hoping to apply for a position at Hogwarts himself, once he had his Mastership.

"Find out." Said Voldemort in a deceptively demure voice. It was a command none the less. "Your will, My Lord." said Severus with a bow, exiting the room at a flick of Malfoy's fingers towards the door.

"And Severus, speak of this to no one else."

He bowed and left.

February 15th 1980

James Potter jumped up from his desk with a howl of delight. After 2 years of research and painstaking labor, he had discovered a possible way to be a multiple animagus. Animagi were rare among wizards, and had to be registered with the ministry of magic. Nobody knew that James and his friends had conquered the transformation while still in school, mostly due to his brilliance, and had been unregistered Animagi for almost 5 years.

His notes, which covered sheets and sheets of parchment and were many feet in length; were detailed and exact, with the theory worked out completely. He was understandably excited at the possible breakthrough. Being a multiple animagus had been considered almost a myth, Merlin was the only wizard known to have accomplished it.

He decided to begin the attempts as soon as possible, but out of prudence, magically copied his notes and decided to place them in his vault at Gringotts, the wizarding bank.

A quick floo to Diagon Alley saw James Potter striding through the Leaky Cauldron, thoughts still bent on his pet project. He deposited his notes, and decided to pay a visit to Ollivander, the wand-maker. Ollivander was old; he had been old even when James had bought his first wand from him almost 9 years before. James often amused himself by wondering if he was the original Ollivander from 382 B.C.

Sudden bangs and screams echoed around the Alley as he made his way towards the wand shop. He quickly drew his wand and walked forward with measured paces. The war between Voldemort's Death Eaters and the rest of the magical world had been going on since before James was in school, and prudence was as deeply ingrained in him as any other value. Yet he did not baulk nor think of running when there were people who could be in danger from Death Eaters just slightly ahead of him. He turned the corner. It was absolute mayhem. There were curses flying left and right with people ducking into shops and trying to get out of the way.

A huge sense of rage enveloped James as he saw a young mother cowering with her child in a doorway while the robed and masked Death Eaters sent spells towards them with a harsh laugh.

He conjured the best shield he could to protect them, while sending a bone breaking hex towards the nearest DE. It was war. James still grimaced as his hex made contact with the man's ribcage and he fell over spouting gouts of blood. He would be dead in a few minutes without medical attention. James saved his sympathy for the innocent and defenseless. He began dueling with three of the other Death Eaters, astounded that nobody else was standing against them. He quickly placed his hand on the Phoenix amulet he wore under his shirt, to signal the members of Dumbledore's order. They would know where he was and could home in on his signal to bring the fight to the Death Eaters. More screams echoed as there were pops and cracks of apparition all around the Alley. A huge attack. He realized suddenly and with the first pangs of worry. This was not a simple terror attack there was bound to be a reason for Death Eaters to be out in broad daylight, attacking people in the streets. More pops. Members of the Order were answering his distress signal, and the fight began in earnest.

Mad-Eye Moody, the auror stepped forward and was almost immediately set upon by three Death Eaters. The flashing green of a killing curse flew inches past him as he fought all three at once in an astonishing display of power and control. Not for nothing were Dark wizards afraid of Alastor Moody. He was as fierce as a tiger, and seemed to know what they would do before they did it. He was backed up by Gideon and Fabian Prewitt. They were twins, who had been two years senior to James in school. Known for their amazing capacity to duel together as a team, they quickly incapacitated two DE's before turning to a third.

The battle – for it was a battle – soon spread out over the street, breaking into minor skirmishes with two or three people involved. Most of the Order members sought to incapacitate rather than kill, but James felt absolutely no mercy towards them that would robe and mask themselves to serve a madman. Death Eaters had killed his parents just a year past, and his righteous wrath was scary even to people fighting on his side. He was a formidable wizard when roused and an amazing fighter.

It seemed to take hours. James was tired and weary as he moved towards yet another DE. How many of them does Voldemort have? He found himself wondering as he sent a stunner followed by a quick mutilation hex at a tall DE who was standing just in front of Ollivanders.

His heart stopped for a moment as he saw a flash of green heading towards Lily. When had she joined the fray? She gracefully sidestepped it and sent a charm at the potted plant next to the DE which enveloped him in a fatal hug. Like James, she had no qualms about fighting to kill. She saw the DE's and their master as bigots and racists, who were trying to purge people of mixed blood from their world. People like her. She fought with wild abandon. James idly mused on how beautiful she looked as he deflected a curse and sent one back at a portly DE who was keeping far back from the fight. Coward. They fought tirelessly for about 2 minutes more before the DE's disappeared simultaneously, apparently in response to some hidden signal. James stared around at the carnage and destruction they had left behind, impotent outrage welling up in his chest. He blinked back his tears of grief and anger as he set about helping everyone he could. Another day in the war between good and evil.


	3. In Principio - III

17th March 1980:

"James Godric Potter!" yelled Lily as she tried balancing on a stool with a streamer and scotch-tape held in one hand and her wand in the other. James sauntered into the room and looked at her enquiringly, trying desperately hard not to snigger. "Yes, love?" he asked nonchalantly, leaning against the doorframe of the room. "Help me!" she exclaimed in exasperation. "Certainly" he replied, whipping out his wand and making a few complicated movements that caused the streamer to fly onto the wall and attach itself with a sticking charm, the stool to tip over and Lily to come flying into his arms with a little scream of surprise.

He kissed her thoroughly as he held her and then broke it off with a chuckle. "You are most amusing when you forget you are a witch, my love." He said as he tried to contain his mirth. She went red and buried her head in his chest. Sometimes she found it easier to do things the muggle way. In some ways it connected her with her past and made her feel closer to her non-magical parents. She didn't really get along well with her sister Petunia, who she had always sensed a deep-lying jealousy in.

They were organizing a party for one of their old school friends, Peter Pettigrew. The idea had been Lily's and had startled James. He thought back to that argument. He had been quite bemused when she berated him for not giving his friend enough attention. "Had it been Sirius or Remus, _you_ would have been the _first_ to suggest a party!" she told him in indignation. Sirius and Remus were part of a gang that James had founded along with Peter back when they were in Hogwarts. He had always felt closest to Sirius, who had been his best man, followed closely by Remus. He had always seen Peter as something of a tag along, although he did have an innate cunning that had always helped them as they set out to discover new ways to make the students (Especially one _Snivellus _– Severus Snape) and the teachers' lives hell at Hogwarts. So it was that he was helping decorate their flat for the party, while Sirius and Remus distracted Peter with a trip to Hogsmeade to Madam Rosmerta's pub. Peter had always had a soft corner for the buxom proprietor and went red every time he saw her, a source of much amusement to the rest of them.

Their friends would be along in a short while, so he stopped his musings and helped Lily get everything into order. There weren't many people that they trusted in those troubled times, and it was going to be a small get-together of friends and old school-mates or in Sirius' terms – a drag.

5 p.m arrived with the first of those friends flooing in from around the country. Frank and Alice turned up with a present wrapped in purple with air-holes in it. It gave off squeaks now and then. Then came Meraxes Malfoy, a poorer and much more affable second-cousin of Lucius Malfoy, who had befriended James at a transfiguration seminar in New Zealand. There was Dorothy Gardener, a muggle-born Ravenclaw who had always been kind to Peter and helped him get through his Arithmancy classes, Derrick Schwan, Patricia Hopkirk as well as a few other people who worked with Peter in the Department of Magical Transportation in the Ministry of Magic. Sirius' cousin Andromeda and her husband Ted Tonks turned up with their 8 year old daughter Nymphadora, who was mischief on two legs. James always enjoyed playing with her and watching her hair change color according to her mood. He was fascinated with her since she was obviously a metamorphmagus and it was an area of interest to him. They were even rarer than Animagi and James wanted to find out if it was possible to replicate their abilities somehow.

Fabian and Gideon Prewitt arrived next, with a present that looked suspiciously like a broom to James. He snorted. Since he himself was one of the best fliers he knew, James rated Peter's flying skills as somewhere between abysmal and piteous. It never occurred to him that comparing Peter to himself in that department was unfair since he was being scouted by a first-tier quidditch team as well as the English National Squad for the upcoming world cup.

A loud knock on the front door signified the return of Sirius and Remus with the birthday boy in tow. At 22 years of age, Peter still had watery eyes that made it look like he was about to burst into tears any moment, and seemed to be losing hair from the top of his head. James had never noticed how his front teeth protruded before and he mentally sniggered as he tied up the resemblance to Peter's animagus form – a rat.

Greetings were exchanged and a cake was cut before it was time to unwrap the presents. Peter stammered his thanks to the Prewitt twins as he un-wrapped a brand new Nimbus 1700. He looked nervous already, with both feet planted firmly on the ground. The others gave him various bits and bobs but the present he loved the best came from Alice and Frank Longbottom. No one understood why upon un-wrapping the purple paper and disclosing a magical rat, James, Remus and Sirius went into paroxysms of mirth, howling with laughter and leaning on each other. Lily smiled, wishing they would be a little more discreet, since what they had done was completely against the law. Peter looked slightly abashed, but could not help the pleased look from leaking onto his face as he opened the cage and held up the magnificent specimen.

The get-together was a mild success, wrapping up pretty early since everyone wanted to be home as soon as possible to avoid being out well after dark. In the comparative silence in the wake of the party, James and Sirius stood by the window, each sipping a glass of firewhiskey. It was a dull, dismal night, with banks of fog and mist that made it seem ominously grey. "There was talk around the pub today." Said Sirius quietly as he sipped his drink and winced at the fumes. "The Three Broomsticks?" "No. The Hogshead" Sirius replied, glancing around and making sure that Lily was out of ear-shot. She was bustling around trying to get the house back to some semblance of order. Sirius and James knew that she loved to be in the thick of things but James wanted to protect her, especially now that she was carrying their baby. They tended to leave her out of their clandestine discussions on the state of the wizarding world, in the hopes that less stress was good for the baby.

Sirius swirled his goblet around as James stood attentive, his own drink forgotten in his hands. "Apparently Voldemort is offering a reward for information regarding a prophecy that was made a few months ago." James stiffened, trying not to let his feelings show. He took a shaky gulp of his whisky. "What prophecy?" Sirius looking so serious was not a usual sight. They attracted the attention of Lily, who stepped up towards them and took a sip from James' glass. "What prophecy are you two talking about?" She asked with a suspicious glance at James. They had decided not to reveal the existence of it to anyone. James shrugged and turned his attention back to Sirius. "I don't know." He sighed. "Rumor has it that some witch predicted old Voldie's death." James maintained a carefully schooled expression, as Lily frowned at Sirius' playful use of Voldemort's name. Sirius shrugged at her, waving a dismissive hand. They had argued about it over and over and it had ended with Sirius saying he would rather laugh at Voldemort than accord him even the slightest bit of respect. He completely missed the glance that James shot at Lily, which she interpreted at once. She gave a small imperceptible shake of her head.

James was torn. He had never kept anything from Sirius and to him; feigning ignorance was almost as good as lying to his best friend. He desperately wanted to confide in him but Lily had pointed out that if he wanted to risk his own life that was all well and good, but when it came to her life and the life of their unborn child, he had another thing coming. His protestations that Sirius would never ever betray them had fallen on deaf ears. She was quite adamant and he had reluctantly acquiesced. Now she correctly interpreted his look as a reopening of that old argument and her stance had not changed. They said no more, but continued staring out into the dark, each lost in their own dark thoughts.

The days and weeks that followed continued to be dark in more ways than one. Instead of the world rejoicing the advent of spring, everyone was caught up in the feeling of gloom that seemed to pervade all walks of life. The Dementors were breeding. That much was clear to anyone who knew the signs, and it seemed like the tension could be cut with a knife as the days passed.

Unexplained deaths, killings and reports of missing people continued and grew exponentially as Voldemort became braver and more confident with each passing day. Lily, James and their friends mourned the loss of yet another schoolmate, who had been murdered in her home, along with her brother and his family. Sirius took her passing especially hard, since they had dated for a while in school. Not a day passed without some fresh atrocity and the magical world lived in terror that their house would be next or their loved ones would be targeted and torture by Voldemort's cohorts.

The liberal use of the Imperious curse by Voldemort and his Death Eaters made it impossible to know who to trust, and people tended to stick to family and friends they knew exceptionally well. The Daily Prophet carried daily headlines of muggles being tortured, or yet another half-blood family destroyed by the vengeful sadists that flocked to Voldemort's cause. The manner of these deaths sickened everyone. Each killing was marked with an eruption of a huge green skull with a snake protruding from its mouth – Voldemort's personal sign. People lived in constant and bitter terror of the mark appearing over their homes.


	4. Sequentia - I

April 22nd 1980:

It was 10 p.m, and James was just finishing a quiet whiskey before heading up to bed. He swirled the amber liquor around his glass and mused how the tension of the war was making alcoholics out of all of them. Sirius was drinking much more heavily than he had ever seen. It had affected them all in different ways. Remus was being evasive and not coming around nearly as often as he used to. Voldemort's people were targeting the werewolves and vampires, and they didn't take no for an answer. Most people did not know that Remus was a lycanthrope and he probably wanted to keep a low profile.

James took another sip as he thought back to the years that had passed since he had passed out of Hogwarts. 5 years had zipped by like the blink of an eye. He couldn't believe that he was married to Lily and that they were expecting their first child. He smiled softly as he thought about Lily and the baby she was carrying. James had grown up as an only child and was determined to have more than a few children so that they wouldn't be lonely growing up.

A sudden pounding on the door shattered his reverie as he leapt out of his armchair, spilling his whiskey and whipping out his wand. He knew that upstairs Lily probably already had her wand out and was waiting for a cue from him as to her next set of actions. The wards he had erected around the apartment were strong but he knew it was better to be safe than sorry. 

"Who is it?" he bellowed at the door, even as he took a few cautious steps towards the door, wand firmly pointed at it. "Sirius and Remus" came Remus' voice, sounding out breath. "Open up, Prongs!" James immediately put away his wand and opened the door. No-body but the four of them knew their nicknames. "What's wrong?" he asked in consternation as Remus and Sirius tumbled into the apartment, both looking the worse for the wear. "What happened?!" he asked again as Lily came running down the stairs in her bathrobe and with curlers in her hair. "A random attack on Diagon Alley." Panted Sirius, even as Lily healed a cut on his forearm that looking like it had come from a slicing hex. Remus threw himself on the couch with a slight growl. "Bloody Death Eaters!" he snarled. "They came out nowhere. The worst thing about it is that I don't even think they had a purpose in mind. They were having _fun_!" he spat with vehemence. James and Lily exchanged a look. They knew it took a lot to piss Remus off to this extent. Sirius sat scowling as Lily checked him over for more injuries. One of the few benefits of lycanthropy was that wounds healed fairly quickly. The cuts and abrasions that decorated Remus would be gone in 15 minutes or so. Sirius looked like he could murder someone. "Bellatrix and Rudolphus were there" he cursed, standing up abruptly and pacing around the room. "My own family!" he roared suddenly, startling the other three. "I've always hated the lot of them," he ranted, "but I never thought they would be stupid enough to align with the dark idiot." Remus actually looked amused for a minute as he considered Sirius' latest epithet for the dark lord.

James had another issue on his mind. "Sirius," he said carefully "the Death Eaters always wear masks. How did you-?" "How did I know it was them?" Sirius asked with a sigh as he threw himself back into the armchair he had vacated. "She spoke to me." Sirius was staring off into space, reflecting on all that had happened. "She used to be really a really nice girl. She always was snobby and _did _think that purebloods were better than everyone else. Somehow I never thought that she would take it this far." Everyone was silent as they all contemplated how the war had torn the wizarding world apart. Family members fighting each other and people discriminating on the basis of blood. Lily remembered the many times she had been taunted in school with the word "Mudblood" Dirty blood. She shuddered at the absolute baselessness of their doctrine.

The wizarding world was divided by the pureblood extremists into Purebloods, Half-Bloods and Mudbloods. Squibs and muggles didn't even get a mention. Lupin had his head in his hands, having long gotten over his spark of rage. He was beneath the consideration of people like Voldemort and his Death Eaters, besides as a weapon to be used against everyone else. The sad part was that even the average, normal, happy-go-lucky wizards and witches wanted no truck with werewolves. They were shunned everywhere. Thanks to Dumbledore's generous spirit and willingness to bend the rules, Remus was one of the few werewolves who even had a wand let alone knew as much as he did about magic. People considered it an affliction. Being bitten by a werewolf was more of a curse than a simple once a month transformation into a beast. It was a curse that pervaded every aspect of his life. There were people who could look beyond the shallow outlook and see the generous, kind-hearted, selfless, loyal and intelligent person he was, but unfortunately, those would be the first people to get killed if Voldemort managed to take control of the wizarding world.

Sirius was considered a "Bloodtraitor" by his own family. One who had given up his own. One who had turned his back on the pureblood doctrine that his family had spouted for a thousand years. "Toujours Pur" The motto under the Black coat-of-arms. Forever pure. His own brother was believed to be in the service of Voldemort. No-one knew for sure, but it was whispered around certain circles that the younger Black was deep within the inner-circle of Voldemort's Death Eaters.

James was always uncomfortable when it came time to discuss heritage and blood. On the one hand he _was _proud of his lineage and his ancestry. Yet the reason for their pride was not solely to do with blood. The Potter family was ancient and James could trace his ancestry back to Godric Gryffindor himself. That fact was not lightly bandied about. In fact, since the passing of his parents, the only person who knew that he was the heir to the Gryffindor line was Lily. The reason for the secrecy was two-fold. There had always been rumors that the Potters were the descendants of Godric Gryffindor and his bride, Rowena Ravenclaw. Voldemort obviously believed them, and hence targeted James' parents. That was one reason – persecution.

"Hic Sunt Leones" was the true motto of the Potter line. "Here there are Lions". A muggle explorer had once glimpsed the crest and had stolen the motto to place on uncharted regions on his maps of Africa a few centuries ago. James had laughed his head off when his father had first told him that. It was a misleading sentence, since Godric Gryffindor had nothing to do with lions. People didn't know that his surname was the key to understanding him. Of all the kinds of Griffins that had ever walked the earth there was none like the golden griffin. Gryffin D'or. _Gryffin of gold._ It was three-fourths of a lion - the only part that was unmistakably avian were the wings. The golden, winged lions of legend were in fact a species that had died out thousands of years before Gryffindor's time. Yet that was his animagus form. A form he had passed on to all his male descendants. They could all assume the Gryffin form. Yet no Potter had openly transformed into a Gryffin for centuries. There were some secrets that could not be revealed and if it were common knowledge that the Potters were the heirs to Gryffindor, those secrets would be lost. That was the second reason that he could not disclose his ancestry. Sometimes from things that Albus Dumbledore had said, James felt that he _knew_ his lineage. He had often wondered about it. The Potter line now carried a crest that was well known in the wizarding world and had always made James smile. It was a prancing stag and a gryffin, facing each other, holding up a banner that read "In Familia Fortutido". Strength in Family. He had always found it wonderful that the banner was lined with lilies. His beloved Lily had been his strength when he had lost his parents. She had been his rock.

The pureblood beliefs were as strongly etched in James and Sirius' minds as any other pureblood, but the degree and the meaning they took from the teachings and rituals was completely different. James sighed. He supposed that every set of beliefs would inevitably have its fanatics. The purity of blood and the sanctity of the pureblood rituals and traditions did not speak of eradicating muggles or "half bloods" or "mud bloods" at all. That was simply what Voldemort wanted the world to think that they did.

May 17th 1980:

Severus Snape was in a quandary. After a lot of painstaking research into all the families known in the magical world, he had deduced that the Longbottoms were the ones that were going to have the child that fit the prophecy. Frank and Alice Longbottom had been in school with him and neither had particularly caused him any harm. Frank had always been far too caught up with his Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures research and studies to pay him any attention and Alice had been good friends with Lily. He knew that the Longbottoms and the Potter's were friends and that Lily was also pregnant. As far as he knew James and Lily had only faced Voldemort twice, once when James' parents were killed and a second time in the course of their Order of the Phoenix duties when they had responded to a DE raid in Scotland. James had actually had the balls to send a stunner at the Dark Lord. The audacity of that arrogant prat never ceased to amaze Severus.

He was waiting in the hallway of Lucius' scrumptious manor house in Sheffield, to give his report to the Dark Lord. The slither of a snake and soft footsteps informed him of his imminent arrival. Severus straightened his robes, and got down on his knees, with his eyes lowered.

Lord Voldemort swept into the room, with Nagini, his familiar preceding him. He seemed pleased to find Severus already on his knees. "Rise, Severus, rise" he said magnanimously as he walked into the room. Severus got to his feet with as much dignity he could muster and stared straight at the wall in front of him. "What have you discovered, my young potions master?" It had only been two weeks since Severus had received the grant of his Potions Master status from the Potions Guild. They were all very impressed and told him so. He was the second youngest potions master ever. Considering that the only one who beat him was his mother, he wasn't too disappointed. The name Snape would get the respect it deserved despite what his hateful father had done to besmirch it. "My Lord, the signs all point towards the Longbottoms." He said, feeling just a little guilty that he was giving up his former classmates. "Indeed." Said the Dark Lord quietly. "The Longbottoms" he repeated. "Eyes to mine, Severus." Severus fearfully raised his eyes to his Lord's, knowing full well that he was about to be assaulted with a Legilimency probe. He tried his best to compartmentalize and not make his shields too apparent. He had been working on them long and hard but he felt that the method most textbooks described lacked subtlety. He had been working on compartmentalizing his memories so that it appeared there was a weak wall when in reality there was a very, very strong wall protecting the memories he didn't want anyone, including the Dark Lord to peruse. He had an instant to clear his thoughts before he felt Voldemort's presence in his mind. He watched as the Dark Lord went over his research methods and seemed to mentally "Hmm" with satisfaction. Severus stiffened as Voldemort went over his reasoning about the Potter's. The connection abruptly ended, leaving Snape a little shaken up. Voldemort paced around the room in furious thought. "You have done well Severus," he said, causing him to release a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "However, someone else had pointed towards the Potter's." Severus stiffened, and immediately tried to mask his furious thoughts about Lily from the Dark Lord. It would not do for him to realize that Severus was in love with a Mudblood not to mention the wife of someone like James Potter.

"The Potters, my Lord?" he asked as nonchalantly as he could. "They do not fit the description. The prophecy clearly says that the child would be born to parents who have thrice defied you. Forgive me, my lord, but to my knowledge James Potter and his Mudblood wife have defied you twice, curse their impudence" The word Mudblood seemed to stick in his throat as he thought of Lily, yet it was imperative that his Lord feel his disdain towards the couple. That was easy when it came to James. Severus hated him with a vengeance.

"You are mistaken, dear Severus. You see, I happened to crash their wedding party. I believe you were in South America at the time." Severus had not been able to bear the news of their pending nuptials and had retreated into the Amazon, ostensibly to search for rare and undiscovered potions ingredients but in reality to distance himself from the event that was causing him so much pain. He had had no idea that the Dark Lord had crashed their wedding. He quickly brought himself back to the present, trying to suppress the anxiety that had suddenly welled up in his chest as he realized that the Potter's had indeed escaped the Dark Lord thrice. Voldemort paced in a circle around Severus, making him feel like prey. "There have long been rumors that the Potter's are the last of the Gryffindor line. It would not do to see another come into this world. Especially one spawned on a Mudblood bitch." His face crinkled with disgust as the flung the epithet at Lily. Snape suppressed the immediate and shockingly strong wave of anger he felt at his Lily being spoken about in this manner.

The Dark Lord continued to pace as Severus strove to curb his feelings and shove them down behind what he hoped was an impenetrable wall. "So it is either the Longbottoms or the Potters. I shall ponder this conundrum for a while." As the Dark Lord spoke, Severus saw several masked people enter the room. He recognized a few from their build and gait. There was Rookwood and Avery, Macnair, Dolohov, Lucius Malfoy, the Lestrange brothers, and Bellatrix Lestrange. There were also five others who he could not recognize. He studied them surreptitiously as he stood in silence. The inner circle, realized Severus as he watched them form a circle around the Dark Lord and fall to their knees as one. They knelt in silence, with Severus standing in the middle of the circle and the Dark Lord pacing around him, lost in thought. "Rise, my Death Eaters, rise." Cried the Dark Lord suddenly, as he spun around to face them. "Severus," his voice was a soft croon, almost loving as he pointed to the left of Lucius Malfoy. "Take your place among the worthy. Among my most trusted and venerated followers as one of them, and one of us." Trusting his instinct, Severus fell to his knees and crawled to his Lord, kissing the hem of his robe in gratitude. He forced his repugnance well to the back of his shields. "Thank you, my lord, thank you." He mumbled as he awkwardly stood and then made his way to the position pointed out to him. He supposed this was what he had been working towards but the triumph left a bitter after taste in his mouth as he realized that the Dark Lord was now deciding between the Longbottoms and the Potters who the greater threat was.

"My loyal Death Eaters," said Voldemort in honeyed tones that sent a ripple around the circle. "Know all of you that Severus Snape has found great favor with me. He has pointed out a potential threat to my person and to our divine plans to rid the world of its _less that salubrious _members." A small chuckle passed around the circle and Severus repressed a shudder at the enormity of his blunder. "It has been prophesized that a child born either to the Longbottom clan of Longbottom Lake or the spawn of James Potter and his Mudblood bitch will be the one to defeat me." A shudder of disbelief went around the circle. None of them could believe that there existed any person magically stronger or more intelligent than the Dark Lord, let alone an unborn child. Yet if he took it seriously they were all inclined to believe him. "I have not yet decided which child would pose the greater threat but I will do so. When I do, we will move decisively and immediately to remove that child from this world. We'll send the parents on their way just for good measure." He added with a slight chuckle. They slavishly tittered at his joke, nudging each other and some cracked their knuckles in anticipation. He lowered his voice as he gave one of his amazing addresses, strengthening their resolve. "For too long now the magical blood has been diluted and tainted with the blood of lesser impure beings! Mudbloods and half breeds are the result. Squibs and "wizards" who are so weak that they may as well be muggles! If we do not put a stop to it, if we do not stand up and say "enough" then soon the word magic will cease to mean anything. The magical blood that resides in our veins will die out and the mundane will reign supreme. We _cannot_ let that happen. We will not let that happen. We will forge a new world where only the PURE can live and further our species. We will rule them all. And I…I shall reign supreme for eons to come. For I will not die! I _cannot_ die." They stood in awe as this great wizard revealed truths to them. Truths they had always known but had not had the courage to act on. Severus hung his head as he realized just how badly he had erred. He was part of a would-be racist regime that had no place for the woman he loved. Truth be told it had no place even for him. Not even for the Half-blood Prince. What have I done? He asked himself in despair as he cheered along with the rest of them. Cheering death. Cheering destruction. Cheering the mindless loss of lives.


	5. Sequentia - II

June 14th 1980

Albus Dumbledore sat at his desk, as he had often done in the last few years, contemplating Tom Marlvolo Riddle. As a boy, Riddle had been ill treated at the orphanage he was unfortunate enough to grow up in. Albus would never forget the first time he met the boy. How it had astonished him that even at 11 the boy had realized he was gifted and had utilized his powers to intimidate and control. He sighed again, at something he had sighed about a lot over the last 40 odd years. He should have known there was something wrong. He had sworn that he would watch Riddle as he progressed through Hogwarts, yet he had never been able to catch him doing anything wrong. The first death Riddle had caused had been moaning Myrtle. A troubled girl who had done no wrong but be different.

Fawkes took note of Albus' despondent reverie and trilled a soothing note that seemed to warm his blood like a cup of hot chocolate. Albus smiled. Fawkes was truly an amazing bird. He had been around for centuries, unbound to any wizard. Albus would never forget how he had bonded with him and the amazing feeling of completeness that came from knowing that Fawkes would always be there for him until he died.

For years people had tried to find the chamber of secrets, which they were quite sure existed considering a student had been killed. Albus was quite sure that the chamber would shed considerable light on Tom Riddle's psyche. Sometimes he wondered if the boy had left anything in it that would point towards where exactly his mind was pointed. A lot of untied strings and unsolved mysteries rumbled around the old man's head as he sat still, watching the morning pass.

He was almost certain that the Potter's were descended from Godric Gryffindor and Rowena Ravenclaw but the genealogical web grew denser the further back he traced their ancestry. He was sure that they were also descended from the Peverell family. The three Peverell brothers had been well known as great wizards and he felt they were the creators of the Deathly Hallows that he had devoted so many years of his life trying to find. There the web thickened because he was certain that the Gaunt family, Riddles maternal ancestors were descended from the middle brother. This meant that Slytherin and Gryffindor blood lines had mingled at that point. The Deathly Hallows. He sighed again as his mind went back to the summer he had played god with Gellert Grindelwald. A man who had turned out to be monstrous and deceitful in the end. Albus had suffered the loss of his only sister to their grand schemes of world domination. The greater good. A saying that had been burnt into Albus' heart and soul from the time he was a teenager. It had taken years before he had summoned the courage to face his old friend for the greater good of all the magicals in the world and end his terror. People revered Albus for the one act he despised himself for.

He was taken out of his thought spiel by the arrival of a midnight black owl. It tapped on his office window. He stretched his aching muscles as he relieved it of its letter.

_Professor,_

_I have been trying to infiltrate the werewolf clans within Britain in the hopes that I can turn them away from Voldemort's purpose. I do this without permission or without being asked as I am uniquely "gifted" with abilities that make it possible. _

_This will be the last missive I will be able to send before I join the pack. Fenrir Greyback has planned to attack a village near SouthHampton, to revenge himself upon someone who he thinks slighted him. The attack will take place on the second night of the next full moon. _

_Professor, in case I do not make it out of this alive, I would like to thank you for everything you have done for me from the time I was a little boy. Your trust in me and your faith that I was not a monster has helped me live all these years and keep my sanity. I would ask you to please convey my love to James, Sirius, Peter and Lily, as I am sure they would try to deter me if they knew of my intentions. I will get word to you somehow if I learn of anything of importance. _

_In a life where I have often felt unable to contribute as much as everyone else, this is something I can do to make a few people's lives better and perhaps even save a few lives. Once again I thank you for your kindness and for everything you have done for me. Till we meet again,_

_Remus J. Lupin_

Dumbledore stared at the note, a lump in his throat. It never ceased to amaze him the lengths to which people would go to protect the ones they loved. Remus had a kind and good heart, he was also one of the best fighters they had in the order of the Phoenix and it was with a heavy heart that Albus silently wished his former student the best, and hoped he would come home. This news would not be well received by the lycanthropes friends.

July 1st 1980:

As Lily approached her due date, James' anxiety grew. What did he know about being a father?! He was sure he was going to botch it up. He often found himself sitting over his papers, trying to get on with his metamorphmagus research when he would drift off with a dreamy smile, thinking of all the things the future would hold for him and Lily.

Things were worse than ever in the magical world, and the aurors were constantly barraged with attacks all over magical Britain, trying their best to keep the collateral damage as minimal as possible. Sirius was as often as not busy with his unit, responding to the attacks as soon as possible. The Obliviators were working over time trying to ensure that the muggles were unaware of the conflict raging in the wizarding world.

James worried that he didn't see enough of his best friends. Sirius was always at work, often too exhausted to even come over for dinner. Remus hadn't shown up in a long time and James was especially worried about his friend and his "furry little problem". He didn't dare risk sending an owl in case it was intercepted by anyone. Lily had finally agreed to remain at home for the last month of her pregnancy, after much pleading by everyone who knew her and loved her. She was currently engaged in research about ancient time runes. She couldn't tell him exactly what she was working on but James was no slouch at runes and had peeked a little at the scrolls that covered her desk and overflowed over every flat surface in her study.

James was sitting in the living room, sipping on a butter beer as he waited for Peter to show up. Apparently Peter had heard of someone who had developed a potion that mimicked a metamorphmagus' traits in every way and had procured the man's notes. Potions were not exactly James' strong point but he wasn't too bad so he wanted to take a look at what exactly the potion did and whether it affected the mind or the physiology. He was hell bent on finding a way to use transfiguration to mimic the traits. Cross specialty magic was something Lily was very interested in so she would also be joining in their discussion. The doorbell rang, prompting James to get up from his chair, wand in hand as usual to answer it. "Who is it?" he asked, wand aimed at the door. "Marauder" came the reply in Peter's reedy voice. It was the agreed upon password between the four friends. He opened the door and let Peter in. They spent an enjoyable two hours discussing this Henri Toure's work in the cross fields of transfiguration and potions. Well, James and Lily discussed it while Peter eagerly tried to throw in his two cents. It was well beyond his scope of knowledge. A few butter beers later they decided to call it a night and bid goodnight to Peter. He looked like he wanted to say something for a moment but then at an enquiring look from James he mumbled goodbye and walked away into the night.

July 17th 1980

Peter Pettigrew hurried along Diagon Alley, checking over his shoulder now and then. It would not do for anyone to see him or where he was going. He quickly ducked into Knockturn Alley and walked rapidly to Borgin and Burkes. The shop looked like any pawn shop which dealt in magical artifacts but in actuality it was a much darker place than most suspected.

There were several cursed objects within the shop, as well as many powerful and forgotten artifacts. Some even claimed that the shop dealt in antiques dating back to the time of the Hogwarts founders, a thousand years ago. All this was irrelevant to Peter as he went about his Master's business.

Peter had always known that James, Sirius and Remus had considered him a tag along, but he was so grateful to have friends especially friends as popular and powerful as the three of them that he quietly suffered their humiliations and slights. He had always felt there was a wall between him and the other three. He didn't realize that he had caused it with his continuous whining and his deep seated inferiority complex. So he had laughed at their jokes and gone along with their pranks, all the while miserable on the inside since he never truly felt like one of them.

It had all changed a year ago.

January 3rd, 1979:

After a particularly humiliating pick-up game of quidditch with the others at the Potter mansion in Somerset, Peter had gone out for a quiet drink at The Mermaid and Dragon, a small out of the way pub at the end of Diagon Alley. He was not in the mood to banter with Madame Rosmerta. Not that he could ever summon the courage to do more than squeak in front of the well-endowed beauty. He had sat by himself, nursing his firewhiskey when a hooded figure had sat down opposite him. Peter had been terrified. There was a certain mystique about the person that was at once intensely interesting and unbelievably dark. He was reaching for his wand when he realized that the stranger had the drop on him, and he had his wand casually laid across the table with his hand on it and pointed right at Peter's heart.

"Peter." Said the man in smooth tones. "Peter, Peter, Peter." Peter found himself repulsively fascinated by this stranger who seemed to know him and felt a deep feeling of peace settle over him. "Why do you cling to those boys when they do not see your worth? Why do you constantly follow them around like a lost puppy searching for the teat? Is there something within you that makes you crave humiliation? Are you ever going to be the Gryffindor that they are?" The man's questions cut him down to his soul as he felt anguish well up inside his breast. They were all facts that Peter had acknowledged to himself. He was not as smart or as brave or as witty as his companions but to have a stranger spell it out to him plainly made him feel inadequate to the point of agony. "Who are you?" he asked hoarsely, watching the man's wand carefully. "How do you know me? How do you know…?" The man smiled and put his wand away. Peter released a slow breath, not entirely sure he was out of trouble yet. "What do you want?" he asked, trying to inject his voice with some power as he had seen James and Sirius do with great results. The hooded man simply smiled. He reached up and removed his hood.

"Crouch!" muttered Peter, looking around the room like a cornered animal. "Barty Crouch Jr." There was no easy escape. The old bar tender was staring out into the street with a brooding look on his face and didn't look like he would move if Merlin himself were to come in and order a Pina Colada. The man's smile twisted in an odd way when Peter said his full name. He seemed disgusted for some reason.

"What do you want?" Peter asked again, trying to keep his voice level.

"What do _I_ want?! What do _you _want?" shot back Crouch, clicking his fingers at the bartender, who paid him no mind. "What do _you _want Peter Ignatius Pettigrew? Do you want respect? Do you want a purpose? Do you want to feel wanted?" The man seemed to have a grasp on Peter's soul. He wasn't to know that Crouch was a superb Legilimancer. Not up to master level yet, but great none the less. "I've watched you for years while we were at Hogwarts." He continued, startling Peter. "I was two years junior to you, Ravenclaw. I watched you follow them around and grovel. I watched you become the butt of their jokes time after time. I watched as you hungrily tried to gain their approval. I watched as you enviously coveted the girls they were dating. I watched as you danced to their tune, became a jester. I watched as they got more and more powerful and left you in the dust. I watched. I watched! I watched!" His face had a feral gloating look on it as he seemed to soak in Peter's misery.

Peter was almost sobbing by this time, shaking his head slowly from side to side as he tried to deny each thing Crouch said. He had tears leaking down his face as he held up his hands trying to fend off the spiritual blows this man was landing with each word he spoke. Each word cut like a thousand knives. Peter had never experienced the Crutiatus curse but he wondered if it came even close to the amount of agony this man was stirring inside him. He put his head down in his hands and sobbed. The bartender actually deigned to look their way. "So sorry," said Crouch smoothly. "Accident in the family." Seeing that he was about to lose the man's attention again he clicked his fingers imperiously. "I'll take a bottle of your finest firewhiskey and a private room. I must allow my friend the privacy to regain his composure." The man glared at him when he clicked his fingers, but otherwise made no move. "Now!" snarled Crouch. Still moving slowly, the barkeep dusted off an old looking bottle and gestured for the two of them to follow him. Peter didn't seem able to coordinate his movements and Crouch effortlessly maneuvered him into the private parlor.

He sat and watched impassively as Pettigrew cried his heart out, with his head in his hands. He sipped his whiskey as he contemplated the weak, sniveling wizard in front of him, pondering how he had been sorted into Gryffindor. Bravery? Scoff.

"What do you _want_?!" Peter finally choked out. Crouch studied him for a moment. If all went to plan his mission would be a success but if it didn't then he would have to obliviate this sniveling creature. "I represent a certain party that would be interested in any information you can give us about Dumbledore and his Order of Fools. Information that we would pay you well for." He watched Peter's face carefully. There was no protest of loyalty or outrage yet, so he took that as a good sign, and continued. "You would join the ranks of some of the smartest and most powerful wizards and witches today, who are all working towards a common purpose." He paused again, watching like a hawk. "The success of the Dark Lord." Ah, there it was a spark, a look of bewilderment that suited his face perfectly. "The D..Da..Dark Lord?!" squeaked Peter, wiping tears out his now wide open eyes. "What could I possibly have to offer him?" Crouch gave a harsh laugh, amused at the presumptuousness of this idiot. He quickly became serious. "Your life, Peter. Only your life. My Lord does not take "no" for an answer. Join with us and see your fortunes rise. Refuse, and watch everything you love turned to dust around you while you live in unimaginable pain for the rest of your miserable life. My Lord has spoken. How do you reply?" Peter sat silent, contemplating his options. Not for nothing had the sorting hat considered putting him in Slytherin. He wanted the best option that would result in his own success and fortune. Yet there was something about Crouch. "Your father is the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement!" he blurted out. Slam. Crouch hit Peters head down onto the table in front of him, with a furious expression on his face. He took a couple of deep breaths and calmed himself. "Yes," he drawled, taking his wand out and training it at Peter's head. "I do have that misfortune. What about it?" he asked casually, inwardly boiling. Peter was quaking, unsure of what he had said to set the man off. His nose was running a little blood, and he whimpered at the pain. "Yes." He mumbled so softly that Crouch had to crane his head forward to hear it. "What was that?" he asked sharply. Peter swallowed and looked him straight in the eye for the first time. "I said, "Yes", I will serve the Dark Lord." Bartemius Crouch Jr. smiled.

July 17th 1980

The tinkle of the bell attached to the door seemed surprisingly loud in the dim confines of the musty smelling store. Peter entered carefully, making sure to never touch anything even in passing. He walked up to the counter and looked around. There didn't seem to be anyone in the store. He tapped his fingers on the counter, casually gazing around at all the morbidly interesting artifacts that were on display in the glass cases. He didn't hear the grizzled, grey old man sidle up behind the counter.

"Yes?" asked the man in a hoarse voice suddenly. It was all Peter could do to not jump a foot in the air. "T..Th..The Dark Lord sent me." He saw disbelief on the face of the proprietor and that made him angry. Who was he to question the Dark Lord?! "He asked me to pick something up for him." The man continued to fix him with that skeptical look. "He said to tell you "Hepzibah Smith was a fine old Dame"." Caracus Burke felt a surge of fear flow through him at those words. He made a quick but deep bow towards Peter. "At once, sir! So sorry for the delay. I had to be certain, I'm sure you understand." Peter tried to imperiously click his fingers as he had seen Crouch and Malfoy do. "Get it. Now."

The man went scurrying off into the gloom of his shop. Peter felt almost drunk at the reaction he had provoked. Without the Dark Lord he was someone to be scoffed at and taken lightly but once they knew he was a trusted servant of his Lord they went scurrying about to please him. He had never experienced anything quite like it before in his life. Burke returned with an ancient looking wooden casket that sent a shiver down Peter's spine. It seemed to radiate evil. Once again Burke bowed low and smiled ingratiatingly as he held it out to Peter, who gingerly took it and gave a small ceremonious bow back in return. He was quite in his element. He walked out of the shop with his shoulders thrown back. After making his way to the Leaky Cauldron apparition point he disappeared with a pop, reappearing at his master's house in Leicestershire, near Little Hangleton. Another successful mission and things were definitely looking up for one Peter Ignatius Pettigrew.


	6. Sequentia - III

July 20th 1980

Severus Snape stood beside Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange as the Dark Lord sat at his desk. They were planning an attack on St. Mungos for the 22nd. Inwardly, Severus cringed at the thought of attacking defenseless, sick people but he had to put on a gloating visage that made it look like he was anticipating it as much as the other sickos.

"The wards are strong my Lord," Lucius was speaking with great deference in his tone which Severus was sure was completely alien to the annoyingly suave blond. "However, I believe that with Rookwood's information we can breach them in just under 3 minutes. Given that the average auror response time to each of our attacks has been six to seven minutes, that puts us in the hospital at 19.10 before we can expect a planned resistance.

The Dark Lord sat pensive, contemplating his options. Bellatrix seemed to have something to add so he gestured towards her with a slight flick of his finger. "My Lord," she gushed like a schoolgirl on a first date. Severus wondered if she had reason to. "I have been talking with certain wizards who inhabit Knockturn Alley, who have developed magical incendiary devices. A few minutes inside the hospital and we can blow it up, sky high!" she could not resist a mad cackle at the end, while she gesticulated exactly how the hospital would blow up. Severus felt nauseous. The Dark Lord seemed to sigh, looking to the heavens for patience. "Bella," he said in a dangerously soft voice. "An act like that would simply alienate the entire wizarding world against us. I know it might be difficult for you to comprehend, but there are some instituitions that benefit our cause as well. I merely wish to attack the werewolves and vampires who have been bitten and are currently in the creature inflicted injury wards and the squibs who are the janitors of the place. Do you see why?" he posed the question, with a dangerous glint in his eyes. Bellatrix swallowed, looking cowed by the look he had fixed her with. She seemed to have lost the power of speech. The Dark Lord jumped up from his seat, stalking towards them causing all of them to shiver with fear but he turned away and began furiously pacing in front of his desk. "It does not do that one of my trusted lieutenants does not understand our PURPOSE." He said forcefully as he fixed all three of them with a glare each time he passed. "How can we expect success when you do not seem to grasp exactly what I am setting out to achieve?! I do not wish to rule over rubble and destruction when I come into my own. Lucius. Why are we carrying out this attack?" Lucius looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a truck. "To prove we are strong, My Lord. To teach them a lesson." The Dark Lord stopped pacing and faced them. "Lucius, my Slytherin snake. Those are both correct answers, as you well know. Yet I was speaking from a strategic point of view. WHY?" he screamed suddenly, causing all three of them to flinch. "Severus?" he asked in an oily, inviting tone. "Do you know why?"

Severus stood still, forcing his nauseous feeling down. It was now coupled with a deep anxiety that he was about to be punished. Although he had not yet been a victim, he had heard that the Dark Lord's Crutiatus curse made others feel like a baby tickling you. "My Lord." He swallowed, wetting his lips before he continued, closing his mind to the horror of what he was about to say. "The reasons are two fold as I see them." He was gaining confidence as his shields worked to protect himself from the emotions his words were evoking. "We would make a statement that creatures such as werewolves and vampires are not to be tolerated within the society. At the same time we would also be sending a message to the werewolf packs and the vampire covens that we are strong and will not take no for an answer. People will not be overly outraged by attacking these two groups as the general public also sees them as a threat to normal life and society. Some might even be sympathetic towards their destruction."

The Dark Lord gave him a small smile of delight. "And the squibs?" he asked in a caressing whisper. "What about the squibs?" Severus wracked his brains. "My Lord, again, they are on the lower rung of society's concerns. While some might be outspoken about an attack against them, most would shrug it off as no great loss to the magical world. Yet it serves our purpose of informing people that magical weakness is a malaise that we will surgically remove from the world." He chanced a glance at his Lord and seeing a small malicious smile on his face he attempted a joke, hoping it would not backfire on him. "Besides, my Lord," he said with a straight face, ignoring his own emotions. "They're squibs. It should be good sport."

The Dark Lord bellowed with laughter as he went back to his desk and resumed his seat. Lucius and Bellatrix slavishly echoed their master. "Severus, Severus" Severus felt a shudder go through him. The Dark Lord had a manner of saying his name that no one else could imitate. It was a sibilant hiss that made his name sound intriguing even to himself. "You are indeed a most gifted and perceptive young man. Your future will be interesting to watch indeed. I predict that you will go far. Perhaps so much as to stand at my right hand when the time comes." Severus watched Lucius and Bellatrix's envious expressions at that pronouncement. They could have the accolades for all he cared.

He was beginning to feel he was in well over his head and he had no taste for what was to come. Yet now he forced himself to look pleased, and trusting his instincts he bowed low, mumbled "Thank you, My Lord". The Dark Lord looked quite delighted with him. "Leave us now Severus. I have other matters to discuss with these two. Send in Black on your way out." Severus bowed and made a quick exit, detouring to inform Regulus Black that their master required his presence in the study.

The Dark Lord sat at his desk, surveying the three Death Eaters in his presence. "The three of you come from some of the most pure, ancient and magical families alive in the world today. I am going to entrust you with certain items of mine for you to safeguard." All three stood attentive, rejoicing that they had been chosen, yet filled with trepidation as to what the consequences would be should they fail. "These are personal effects of mine, which I would not see in the hands of our enemies. Guard them with your lives, for they are more valuable to me." He gave Lucius a small black diary, entrusting him to keep it safe until he asked for it in the future. "Yes, my Lord." Replied Lucius with a courteous bow. "I will place it in the secret chamber of my drawing room and shall never breathe word of its existence until you ask me to." The Dark Lord nodded, expecting nothing less. He handed over the curious wooden casket to Bellatrix, commanding her to keep it safe. "My Lord," she simpered. "I am honored with your trust. I shall place this in my family vault in the lower levels of Gringotts, guarded by goblin magic and dragons. None shall find it and none shall hear of it until you ask me for it again." The Dark Lord nodded again. "Regulus, my fine young friend. I find myself in need of a house elf. Do you have one that would serve my needs?"

If Regulus was disappointed that he had not been asked to render a similar service as Lucius and Bellatrix he did not show it. He simply inclined his head. "Kreacher!" he cried to no one in particular. There was a loud crack as a house elf appeared, back already bowed in reverent gesture of respect, facing Regulus. Getting no command, Kreacher looked up and his eyes widened when he saw who else was in the room. "Elf I require your services." Said the Dark Lord in a commanding tone. "Return to me at midnight this very night." The elf sent a sidelong look at Regulus, who gave an imperceptible nod. Kreacher bowed low to the Dark Lord and disappeared with a crack. "Soon my devoted Death Eaters, nothing will stand in our way and the magic of the purebloods will be safe from Mudbloods and mixed breeds and the muggles alike. We shall rule them all. And I shall rule forever. Soon."

July 21st 1980

Albus Dumbledore was walking towards the greenhouses when the owl found him. It was an eagle owl of epic proportions that swooped down onto his outstretched arm, digging its talons in a little too deep as it took off immediately. Albus winced as he opened the letter, tearing the envelope roughly in his haste. It was not often that owls came in the middle of the day to deliver mail to him so he was filled with trepidation as well as some sort of sixth sense that told him that he was not going to enjoy its contents.

_Professor Dumbledore,_

_Sir, St. Mungos is going to be attacked tomorrow night at seven p.m. by 12 Death Eaters and 4 dementors. Recommend you do whatever you can to minimize casualties. _

_Sincerely,_

_A regretful acquaintance. _

Albus scanned the letter twice before his brain caught up with the information. St. Mungos! Something had to be done. He hurried back to his office and flooed Alastor Moody, Fabian and Gideon Prewitt, Dorcas Meadows, Emmeline Vance, Elphias Doge, Dedalus Diggle and Sturgis Podmore, Benjy Fenwick, Edgar Bones, Caradoc Dearborn, Marlene McKinnon, and he also called Minerva McGonagall up from her office to his.

It was a somber crowd who filled the headmaster's office 20 minutes hence. Each person looked around to see who else had been called. There were some glaring exceptions yet they did not say anything.

"My friends," began Albus. "Today I received a missive from some unknown person who claims to have knowledge of an attack at St. Mungos that will occur tomorrow at 7 p.m. in the evening. I do not know whence the warning comes but I for one think we ought to take it seriously.

They all exchanged dread filled glances as they contemplated the repercussions of Voldemort attacking the hospital. It would be a blow to the magical world that they doubted they could recover from. It was a wonder they had prior warning to it.

"What if it's a trap?!" growled Alastor Moody. He was suspicious of any intelligence that fell into their laps. It just didn't happen, in all his years of experience in espionage and missions he had conducted. Albus sighed. "It could well be a trap. Yet are we prepared to not act and take the risk that it is indeed accurate information? That is the question I have for each of you. Thoughts?"

Fabian Prewitt looked around the crowd and didn't see his friends James, Sirius, Remus and Frank. "Where are the others?" he wondered out loud. "Where are James, Sirius, Remus, Peter and Frank?" He was well aware that Lily and Alice were in the last month of their pregnancies and that Arabella Figg was working at St. Mungos at the very moment as a nursing assistant. Hagrid was on a mission to speak to the Gurg of the giants in Scandinavia and Mundungus Fletcher was currently in Knockturn Alley, trying to root out apothecaries that were supplying the Dark Lord with illegal and hard to find potions ingredients. Along with the others who were missing, they formed the core of the Order and he was curious as to why they weren't present.

"As you all know, Lily and Alice are in their last month. We shall soon have two brand new additions to the Order." Albus smiled, trying to cover up his trepidation at the birth of the two babes. Fate was on a collision course with one of them. "I didn't call James or Frank because I know they would rather not leave the two of them alone. For similar reasons I didn't call Sirius or Peter, because James and Frank would definitely come along and I would not risk making two unborn children fatherless and two new mothers widows. Remus is…" he trailed off, wondering if it was Remus who had sent the letter. It didn't make too much sense, since Remus would have identified himself to Albus. He cleared his throat. "Remus has, at great personal risk, gone undercover among the werewolf clans, to try and turn some of them to our cause or at least keep them neutral and away from Voldemort." He sighed heavily. "I have not heard from him in a while. I can only hope he is alright." The company present was stunned, they could not believe anyone could be so brave as to willingly live among the wilder clans of werewolves and try to reason with them. Their respect for Remus Lupin went up quite a few notches.

Dorcas Meadows cleared her throat daintily. She was a very feminine woman, with manicured nails and softly curled hair. She currently worked as a liaison with the Goblin nation but that was just her cover. She was in reality one of the best curse breakers Gringotts had and she was formidable when it came to setting up or taking down wards. "The wards around the hospital cannot be breached. It would take a team of curse breakers hours if not days to manage to breach them, unless they have inside information." She added the last part as an afterthought, as it occurred to her. They all knew that the Ministry of Magic was riddled with Voldemort's spies. They had infiltrated every level. Some might even go as far as to say that he had a few unspeakables working for him. Dorcas doubted that. Most people didn't even know who the unspeakables were, forget being able to infiltrate their department! Still, it was something to consider.

They all sat thoughtfully as they digested that unpleasant information. The thought that Voldemort and his cohorts had infiltrated the most secure department in the ministry was disconcerting to say the least. Gideon Prewitt stepped forward. "We should at the very least place surveillance around the hospital, and prepare a strike team to move in should the information prove accurate." "Seconded" barked Moody, his eyes glaring around the room as if in search of people who disagreed. None did, there were ripples of agreement from around the room. Some action had to be taken. Albus nodded thoughtfully. "Fabian, Gideon, Emmeline I think the three of you should set up the surveillance of the hospital. I do not need to remind you to be inconspicuous." The three nodded their heads and moved closer together to discuss the methods they would use while the meeting continued. "The strike team will contain all of us. Minerva I must ask you to remain behind, should anything befall me I expect the board of governors to place you as headmistress of Hogwarts." He ignored the scandalized looks he received from everyone present at the thought of Dumbledore falling. Contingencies must be set in place. "We must seek to incapacitate rather than kill, as many of Voldemort's followers are innocent people under the imperious curse." He again ignored the various scoffs and disbelieving reactions from around the room. "We must fight to preserve what is good my friends." He added quietly, looking at them through his half-moon glasses with no trace of a twinkle. "Yet we must not lose our own souls in the bargain. Descending to their level is exactly what he expects from us and we must not give in to our baser instincts of revenge. Justice is as far as I will allow this Order to go while I am at the helm" he said sternly, glancing around the room. He saw quite a few shuffle their feet and look down. His old friend Elphias Doge gave him a sympathetic smile. He had been friends with Albus since they were at Hogwarts together and he knew exactly what was going through his mind. "I know that many of you have suffered losses in this war at the hands of Voldemort and his minions, yet I would caution restraint, lest you don't recognize yourselves when this is over." There was absolute silence in the room as they realized the truth in what he said.


	7. Postquam - I

July 22nd 1980

The normal hustle and bustle of the hospital continued as the day drew to a close. Healers and Nurses alike were waiting to clock out and head back to their homes and families. The number of casualties from the war between Voldemort and the rest of the magical world were staggering. There were daily cases of first degree burns, trauma, contusions, concussions, deaths, rapes, mind rapes, loss of limbs and loss of senses. The list was unending and the number of people who were being admitted on a daily basis was taxing the staff to the limit. It was inconceivable to the nurturing souls who entered the care giving profession that human beings could do this to one another.

Arabella Figg tried to hide her nervousness as she went about her duties, helping Nurse Pomfrey attend to the patients in her ward. Dorcas had got in touch with her the previous night to warn her of the possible impending attack. It was at times like this that Arabella hated that she was a squib and that she had no way to protect herself or the people she cared about against wizards and witches. She kept an eye out for any suspicious behavior as she went about her work, terrified that the ugly war was going to enter her peaceful world.

Fabian Prewitt had placed a glamour charm on himself and admitted himself to the hospital, claiming he had been savaged by some sort of beast. He chose that excuse since the creatures ward was dead in the center of the fifth floor and he could watch over everything and be in a position to act should anything untoward happen. Gideon had polyjuiced himself into an orderly, who was a friend of his from school. Garth had been quite happy to take the day off to rest and spend time with his toddlers when Gideon had made his request. He didn't even mind the subterfuge since he knew Gid would never be doing anything wrong in his appearance. Gideon spent his time roaming around the corridors looking busy in his borrowed appearance while he was actually patrolling the corridors in a controlled manner, from the first floor to the fourth floor and back. He knew his brother would cover the fifth floor.

Emmeline Vance had also used Polyjuice potion to take on the appearance of her elderly aunt. She sat in the waiting room, ostensibly waiting for news of her sick husband, while in reality watching everyone who entered the hospital like a hawk. She occasionally went outside and walked around the perimeter of the hospital to "stretch her old aching muscles and give her old aching bones something to do." The staff at the reception ignored the batty old lady completely and went about their work.

St. Mungos was in the heart of downtown London, disguised as an unused warehouse among other unused warehouses. One of which was seeing quite a bit of use this particular night. The warehouse directly opposite contained a formidable force of wizards and witches who were waiting, poised to attack should there be any signs of violence in the hospital. Albus Dumbledore, Alastor Moody, Dorcas Meadows, Mundungus Fletcher, Elphias Doge, Dedalus Diggle, Benjy Fenwick, Marlene McKinnon, Edgar Bones, Caradoc Dearborn and Sturgis Podmore stood at the ready, wands in hand, to defend the helpless and the hapless.

By six thirty, tensions were high as they all waited in watchful silence. The waiting was the hardest part. Albus and Elphias found it easy due to their age and their experience in the war against Grindelwald. Alastor, Sturgis, Benjy and Caradoc were also quite calm, having waited for hours on missions as Aurors, well aware that it was a time to focus and not think of anything but the mission. The others were finding it hard to concentrate, and constantly fidgeted and fiddled with their robes, potion belts, hair and wands. Marlene was particularly anxious. As a teacher in the primary school at Hogsmeade, she had never actively taken part in an assault of this magnitude. She wished her Aunt Minerva was around to help her with her growing tension.

At five minutes to seven they all felt their pendants grow warm. They started out of their reveries and took up their ready positions. It was almost time. Albus nodded, and they burst out into the street, going at full tilt for the entrance to the hospital. It was pandemonium. Edgar, Marlene and Dorcas conjured their Patronus charms as they were instructed, directing them towards the four dementors who were currently attempting to kiss some of the people in the waiting room. The dementors were quick to retreat further into the hospital, with the three of them in hot pursuit. The Death Eaters were taken aback by the sudden appearance of so many people who looked ready to give them a fight. Remembering their orders, they concentrated their spell fire on these people rather than the people who were cowering around them or trying to escape. A huge fight broke out with spells of all colors and levels of lethality flew around the waiting room. "Amycus, Alecto, Lucius, Rabastan with me! The rest of you hold them here!" cried Augustus Rookwood as he started towards the creatures ward, trading a last spell with a brown haired, slight wizard who had a small goatee and a feral smile on his face. He hoped that they had not heard the names he called out as he ran into the hospital, trusting his colleagues to keep that lot busy.

The Order members found that they outnumbered the Death Eaters in the waiting room and wasted no time in trying to incapacitate them. There were eight Death Eaters in the room; unbeknownst to the Order members they were facing Rudolphus Lestrange, Bellatrix Lestrange, Anton Dolohov, Gordon Goyle, Orson Crabbe, Barty Crouch Jr, Severus Snape, and none other than Peter Pettigrew. The latter two were quite terrified that they would be recognized. While all of them had double lives and didn't want anyone to know who was behind the mask, Severus and Peter knew that their very lives depended on it, yet they knew that they could not use lethal force, if they ever wanted a chance to go back to the other side. It was something that Severus had been contemplating since he had sent the note the previous day. They battled it out with the Order members, but knew that they were losing ground.

Augustus Rookwood led his team deeper into the hospital, charging up the stairs past startled Healers, Nurses and Orderlies, heading towards the creatures ward. They turned the corner on the fifth floor only to be met with a wave of spell fire. With urgent gestures, Rookwood commanded the rest of them to remain there, while he and Malfoy crept around the corner, trying to flank their would be assailants. They were in for a surprise. A Nurse who had been standing stock still since their entry gave them a look of contempt as she fired stunners towards both of them. They were quite taken aback, being used to people cowering in front of them and not fighting back. Rookwood sent a bone breaking hex her way, which she dove out of the way of. Rookwood looked at the time. It had been five minutes since the infiltration which meant the Aurors would be here in two minutes at the maximum. Shaking his head in despair, he signaled the retreat, mission unaccomplished. He knew that he would be punished for his transgression but he also knew that his Lord's wrath would know no bounds if they were captured and their true identities revealed. They charged back into the fray in the waiting room and found Snape and Bellatrix down, unconscious, while Rudolphus was spouting blood out of his mask and Goyle was supporting himself against the wall as his shattered leg was giving up on him. He could not believe that the attack had been turned on them so quickly. He closed his eyes and touched his finger to the Dark Mark on his left forearm, knowing full well that he could be signing his own death warrant.

There was a chill in the air as Voldemort appeared out of nowhere. There were screams and shouts and he sent powerful, sweeping spells at the Order members, as well as any bystanders who were unfortunate enough to be in his way. He was in a towering rage. He banished a portkey towards Snape and Bellatrix, who vanished to an unknown destination. He also sent a portkey flying towards Rookwood, who gathered the rest of his bruised and battered compatriots and with one last terrified glance at the Dark Lord, they all vanished.

There was a moment of silence in the waiting room as the dust settled and the far of screams and sobs of patients on other floors reached them from far away. "Tom, stop this madness" commanded Albus Dumbledore as he stepped forward. His beard was slightly singed and he radiated power. His blue eyes were hard and merciless and they seemed to glow with the amount of power the old man was channeling. Voldemort grimaced at the sound of the hated name. Yet he didn't feel ready to face Dumbledore just yet. "Your time will come, old man" he spat venomously as he disapparated with a crack, leaving behind shell shocked and exhausted fighters. There were multiple cracks all around the hospital. The Aurors had arrived.

July 31st 1980

"Jaaaaaammees" the scream sent James scrambling over furniture and running up the stairs, with Sirius hot on his heels. They had been sitting in the living room, playing exploding snap and trying to get their minds off everything. "Lily. Lily..." he panted as he came barreling into the room. "What's happening, Love?" he asked. "My contractions have begun." She said demurely, now lying calmly on the bed. "Would you please floo for Madame Buxley from the hospital?" Lily had been adamant that her baby would be born in their home and had refused to be admitted to the hospital, a decision which had proved wise considering the attack a week ago.

James scrambled back down to the fireplace and threw down some floo powder. "Madam Buxley! Madam Buxley! MADAM BUXLEY!" he cried frantically, worried about his wife and his unborn child. A harried looking lady appeared in the room, wiping her hands on a cloth. "Calm down, man!" she barked, frowning in annoyance. "I will be there momentarily. I have just returned from a call to Longbottom Lake for the delivery of Alice Longbottom's child. I will be there in a few minutes." She smiled at James, regretting her earlier shortness. The poor man looked extremely worried. "Go, child." She said with a soft smile. She quickly scrubbed her hands and collected her bags which contained all she would need including some herbs and potions.

A few hours later, an exhausted but excited Lily Potter lay on the bed with her newly born son in her arms. His eyes were a milky green. She hoped that he would inherit her eyes but she knew that they might change color a few months down the line. "Madam Buxley, could you please ask my husband to come up? I'm sure he has worn a hole in the living room floor! He always was a pacer." She smiled as she nuzzled the top of her infant son's head. Madame Buxley gave her a tired smile. "I will be back in a few days to check on the both of you Lily. Congratulations! He seems to be a healthy young lad!" She wearily made her way down the stairs, anticipating getting into her soft bed and sleeping for 12 hours straight. It was not easy to deal with tense young people who seemed certain that something would go wrong. The deliveries were the easy part, she smiled wryly to herself.

James made his way up the stairs tentatively, completely amazed at the thought that he was now a father. That just beyond the next door lay a helpless little being who needed him to do _everything_ for it. He still didn't know if his baby was a boy or a girl. Unlike most pureblood wizards, it would make absolutely no difference to James.

He walked into the bedroom, witnessing a tender scene that made his heart swell with love. His baby was resting its little head against Lily's breast, with its eyes closed and an extremely peaceful look on its face. "Lily." He said, his voice coming out husky due to the amount of emotion he felt in that magical moment. She looked up and gave him a serene smile. She looked utterly exhausted, yet as beautiful as James had ever seen her. They kissed gently and both looked down at their new born. "I want to name him Harry." Said Lily softly, brushing the black down that was quite abundant on the little head. "Harry James. After my father and his father." James nodded, his throat tight as he touched the little face in awe. "Harry James Potter" he whispered, watching the baby stir a little as he slept on, unaware that he had just been given a name that would one day resound to the heavens.

James went down the stairs, after Lily fell asleep. He had placed little Harry in the crib that they had brought over from the mansion, in anticipation of his birth. It was the same crib that James himself had been put in when he had been born. He felt his heart beat pleasantly at the thought of that tradition being continued. In some ways, James loved traditions. It filled him with a pervading sense of there being an unbroken line between his ancestors and himself. Sirius had taken up James' pacing path, as he walked up and down the living room. He looked up as soon as James came down the stairs and sighed with relief as he saw the maniacal joyful smile on his friends face. "It's a boy!" said James, still keeping his voice low as if he could still disturb the little bundle upstairs from all the way down here. "Hurrah" said Sirius in an equally muted voice, offering James the whiskey that he had already poured in anticipation of this moment. James did not take it, but stood in a formal pose, in front of Sirius. Sirius looked on in shock, aware but disbelieving of what was about to happen. "As a Potter and the Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter, I must ask you, Sirius Orion Black, scion of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, if you would consent to be my son Harry James Potter's Godfather?" Asked James in a serious tone, using the words of the Godparent binding ritual; words that were very seldom spoken to someone who was not of the same blood. Sirius gasped in surprise, as he rose, following the protocol of the ritual, and grasped James' hand as he spoke the words. "I, Sirius Orion Black, scion of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black do hereby accept this honor, and pledge my life to your son Harry James Potter. Should calamity befall you, he will be as a son to me. Should I die bereft of heirs, he shall be as one of my body, and should you be unable, I shall teach him the ways and traditions of both House Potter and House Black." "So mote it be." They said solemnly in unison, as a blue light came out of each of their hearts and went into the others, and a small blue light flew up the stairs and went into little Harry Potter. "Brother." Whispered Sirius in awe. "Brother." Agreed James calmly, clasping the hands of the one man he trusted beyond all others in the world. He was just thankful that Lily had agreed that Sirius could be their child's godfather. She had mumbled something about Roman Catholics and religion and James had not bothered to correct her. In pureblood families, the Godfather of the child played a huge role in its upbringing and was nearly always a brother or close male relative of the father. It was exceedingly rare for a man to ask someone of another house to be the Godfather of his child, since it granted him more than a few rights over the child. James was quite sure that Lily was unaware of this, but felt absolutely no remorse as they stood in his living room with clasped hands in the mutually


	8. Postquam - II

August 15th, 1980

James, Frank, Lily and Alice stood in the front of the hall in the village of Godric's Hollow. It was an ancient Potter custom to conduct the naming ceremony of all new Potter's in the same hall. Frank and Alice had been ecstatic when Lily and James had asked them if they wanted to combine the ceremony with the naming ceremony for their own son, Neville Algwyn Longbottom at the same time and at the same venue. Since it was so difficult to gather safely in numbers, they gratefully accepted. So now they stood, surrounded by their closest friends and family. James had called Sirius, Remus and Peter to witness the event, since his own family was all dead except for an uncle who resided in Canada. Sirius and Peter were there, but to his dismay, he had received no response from Remus. They were well aware of what he was doing, having been filled in by Dumbledore and not a day went by that they didn't think of their friend and wonder if he was alright and if they would ever see him again.

Lily had invited her sister Petunia and her husband, who were expecting a child of their own but had received a negative response. Her parents were in the hall, watching their first grandchild with immense pride and satisfaction. Harry and Grace Evans had been quite shocked to discover that their daughter was a witch but had taken it in their stride. They had even welcomed her beloved to their family with open arms, knowing that Lily could not have chosen a more loving and suitable husband for herself.

Frank and Alice Longbottom had invited a few relatives of their own. Augusta Longbottom stood primly in the front of the hall, stoic, with her vulture hat placed squarely on her head. Algwyn Bryce, Alice's uncle had also come along to give his grandnephew his blessings, telling anyone in the vicinity that the child was named after him. Frank sorely missed his father, knowing that he would have felt immense joy at the prospect of the latest Longbottom to join the clan.

The rest of the party included most of the Order of the Phoenix, including Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Alastor Moody, Fabian and Gideon Prewitt, Dorcas Meadows, Emmeline Vance, Elphias Doge, Dedalus Diggle and Sturgis Podmore, Benjy Fenwick, Edgar Bones, Caradoc Dearborn, Marlene McKinnon and a recently returned Rubeus Hagrid, who had cooed over baby Harry in a way not quite in keeping with his size.

There was a hush as James and Frank stood forth, each internally grieving that it was them and not their fathers that were conducting this time honored tradition.

"I, James Godric Potter, Head of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Potter, do hereby declare this to be the official naming ceremony for my firstborn son and heir. Let it be known to all ye witches and wizards that this child, the child of my body and that of my lawfully wedded wife, is to be named Harry James Potter, after his maternal grandfather, Harold Andrew Evans and his father, James Godric Potter. Let it be known that Harry James Potter is newest addition to our family, and may he live a long and prosperous life. May the magic that flows through his veins keep him safe, and may he always prosper."

"So mote it be." Said everyone in the congregation, those who had not witnessed a pureblood naming ceremony had been briefed on what was expected before they began.

"I, Lily Anne Potter, of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Potter, do hereby declare this to be the official naming ceremony for my firstborn son and heir. Let it be known to all ye witches and wizards that this child, the child of my body and that of my lawfully wedded husband, is to be named Harry James Potter, after his maternal grandfather, Harold Andrew Evans and his father, James Godric Potter. Let it be known that Harry James Potter is newest addition to our family, and may he live a long and prosperous life. May the magic that flows through his veins keep him safe, and may he always prosper."

"So mote it be" intoned everyone solemnly, as Lily and James both kissed their son's brow and stepped back. Frank and Alice stepped forward together.

"I, Frank Anthony Longbottom, Head of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Longbottom, do hereby declare this to be the official naming ceremony for my firstborn son and heir. Let it be known to all ye witches and wizards that this child, the child of my body and that of my lawfully wedded wife, is to be named Neville Algwyn Longbottom, after his paternal great-grandfather, Neville Aloysius Longbottom and his maternal granduncle, Algwyn Orville Bryce. Let it be known that Neville Algwyn Longbottom is newest addition to our family, and may he live a long and prosperous life. May the magic that flows through his veins keep him safe, and may he always prosper."

"So mote it be."

"I, Alice Josephine Longbottom, of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Longbottom, do hereby declare this to be the official naming ceremony for my firstborn son and heir. Let it be known to all ye witches and wizards that this child, the child of my body and that of my lawfully wedded husband, is to be named Neville Algwyn Longbottom, after his paternal great-grandfather, Neville Aloysius Longbottom and his maternal granduncle, Algwyn Orville Bryce. Let it be known that Neville Algwyn Longbottom is newest addition to our family, and may he live a long and prosperous life. May the magic that flows through his veins keep him safe, and may he always prosper."

"So mote it be."

Frank and Alice each kissed their little baby on the brow and stood by his side. Everyone was silent for a moment as they watched the two young couples and their children and prayed for their safety. Albus looked on through his half-moon glasses, wondering which of the two boys was going to have destiny sit heavy on his young shoulders. He wished that the prophecy was less ambiguous and that he could pinpoint who Voldemort's nemesis was going to be.

The party that followed was subdued as everyone remembered all the loved ones who were not present on the auspicious day. Frank and James both reminisced on what they had been told of their own naming days and who had been present. By the time they wrapped it up, it was still early and people left by floo or apparated away until only the Potters and Sirius were remaining. Sirius being Harry's Godfather had to be present for the actual naming ceremony. He had no idea why James had asked him to remain but he had agreed, and now stood at the front of the hall with James and Lily.

Lily and Sirius stood back and watched as James prepared for the ritual. He took several objects out of his pockets and placed them on an ancient looking table that he had removed from the ante-room in the hall. He then took out his wand and cast several incantations around them in sweeping circles, a light silvery glow started to envelop them and spread like a mesh over the entire floor of the hall, and climbing the walls up to the ceilings. The walls, ceilings and floor glowed silver for a moment before the molten color seemed to sink into all the surfaces it touched. Lily and Sirius were speechless with awe. Normally this would have been cause for James to have some fun, but he was as solemn as he had ever been in his life as he beckoned them to come closer. Without speaking he placed their hands into his and formed them into a loose triangle shape, with all their hands connected. He had placed his wand on the floor between all of them, aimed right at him. James then further astonished the two by making harsh, bird sounding screeches that made his neck muscles bulge and his vocal chords to stand out. They watched, shocked, as their friend used magic they had never heard of.

In the silence that followed the harsh cries, James let go of their hands, and indicated that they should stand on either side of him. He seemed to conduct some sort of analysis charm on each of them before he sagged with relief and fatigue and gave them a small smile.

"Water." He croaked, pointing to a small pitcher which was set on the table. He took a few long gulps before wiping his lips on the back of his hand. "Whoosh." He exhaled. "That was intense." Sensing that it was alright to speak, Lily and Sirius began to immediately bombard him with questions. Sirius was looking like he had never seen his best mate before and Lily looked furious that he had been holding out on her. He held his hands up in a placating gesture as their questions crashed around his ears. "I will explain everything!" he promised as his breathing came back to normal.

"Lily, you already know the first part." He looked over at Sirius, and wondered how he was going to take this. "Padfoot, I am the Heir of Gryffindor line, in an unbroken line from father to son for the last 1000 years." He said it as plainly as he could, and then studied the reaction. Sirius didn't look too surprised but was nodding his head slowly, as if he had always known but it had only just been confirmed. He seemed to be somewhat in a daze, so James continued, before the outpouring of questions began again.

"The spells I did before were two-fold. The first one ensured that the privacy and sanctity of this place could not be disturbed while we are in here and the second ensured that neither of you would ever betray me." He shot a side-longed look at Lily, anticipating her outraged and indignant look before it crossed her face. "Love, I had to do that, please try to understand." He explained, "it's part of the ritual we are about to do." She still looked slightly cross, and folded her hands across her chest, with a frown on her face that meant she was trying her best to figure out exactly what he meant. "What were those screechy noises?" she asked, looking like she had a difficult runes translation in front of her.

"It was Gryffin speech." Said James, ignoring the awed looks on their faces. "You must understand," he told the both of them. "This isn't something I learned. I was born with the ability to understand and speak Gryffin speech. The language has a name but I cannot divulge that to you. It is one of the abilities has been passed down to me by my ancestor Godric Gryffindor. Unfortunately I have never come across a Gryffin yet, but there are certain spells created by Gryffindor which can only be used in that language. The one I used just now set in motion the ritual we are about to do." James paused, looking intently at both of them, wondering how shocked they were going to be when the next part of the ritual began. He almost felt sorry for them, remembering the first time he had seen his father's pensieve memory of the ritual and how shocked he had been. He had to give them some sort of warning. "Listen." He began, taking a deep breath and hoping that he could convey it to them in a manner they could understand. He searched for the words, but couldn't come up with anything so settled on a brief warning. "You are going to see things that nobody else has seen. It will be unsettling and weird for you but you must understand that it has been this way for hundreds of years." Lily and Sirius exchanged a quick glance and then shrugged. They didn't know it, but they had the same thought that after all they had already seen, nothing could surprise them further. They couldn't have been more wrong.


End file.
